September

[sunnyday]

I know that we can only guess - but humour me please - what do you think September will look like?

[Cait]

I think people will be wanting normality by then.  Opening up the shops and other amenities will let people see how safe or unsafe the world around them is, and I’d like to think that by September, we will all have adjusted to different ways of ‘being’. Keeping ourselves safe in a balanced way.   For you, with Mr S, things might still be shielded of course, and those folk in similar positions may still need to keep themselves home and safe.  

[louby loo]

I've had a couple of enquires from new parents in the last week, so peoples confidence must be growing.  

We are (or should be) busy from September this year which is a first, we're going to have to have a staggered start over the first half-term.  I know I'm not supposed to mention it- but I'm already wondering what Christmas might be like   Father Christmas might have to chuck the presents to the children 🙀

 

I'm hoping that things will be settled into the new normals, and a least all the new children will only know the 'new way'  which is a positive. 

[finleysmaid]

I think we will still be restricting people who come in to the setting and the need for cleaning and rotating toys will still be high on the agenda (i had set up a system for this when we started in our 'new' building, i think this will need to be reintroduced. ) Starting to think of new ways of keeping parents out....the opposite of what we do now! Hand washing will be the norm and we will spend lots of time teaching and reinforcing this and we will be much more careful when changing children and cleaning up after them.I will definitely keep a cashless system going....much easier! Fundraising will need to be done through grants or other methods rather than hands 'on' events and parties may be out for a while? (children only maybe) 

I do fear for the support organisations that are around like panto companies and theatre shows/school visit organisations. They may have a very quiet year.

purely a guess of course!

[lynned55]

I tend to agree with finleysmaid- I'm also wondering how we're going to get new children in the door without parents in Sept. 

 

[Stargrower]

I have to say I had a bit of a wobble on Friday, thinking about September.  We had been outside for the majority of the week until Friday and it was a big reality hit when the weather turned cold and wet and we were indoors more.  The bubbles really came into play.  In our Pre-school Room we had two bubbles with six in one and seven in the other with a member of staff for each bubble.  It was really exhausting - the endless handwashing, cleaning, toileting then handwashing again.  It seemed like there was little time to play with the children and we weren't even attempting EYFS/observations etc.  I started to wonder how on earth we would do this on full numbers.  We really needed an extra adult, but obviously you can't have one adult floating between two bubbles, so it would need two which just isn't viable.  By 2.30pm we only had one child left in one bubble.  Luckily, she went home at 3pm but if she had been staying until 6pm when we close, what would we have done?  I can't see the guidance changing by September but am keeping everything crossed that the rates of infection continue to drop and some of the measures can be lifted.

[sunnyday]

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts🙂

I am particularly concerned about our 'new starters' but will find a way (hopefully) to make this work.

I am planning a big 'sort out' at my setting in the next week or two - we have loads of 'stuff' that would be happy to just get rid of....

I wonder if we will get back to our usual opening hours - who knows